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Monday, August 22, 2011

Justice and Spirituality of Hazrat Ali

Ali bin Abi Talib, son in law and cousin of the Prophet, first Shia Imam and the fourth caliph of the Islamic community. He was described by the Prophet as the ‘gate’ to the 'city of knowledge'.

“I am the city of knowledge and Ali is the gate; so whoever desires knowledge, let him enter the gate.”

Imam Ali lived physically in the shadow of the Prophet and absorbed spiritually all that radiated from him. The intimacy of the relationship between the Prophet and Hazrat Ali is summed up in one of the sermons of the Imam:

“When I was but a child he took me under his wing…I would follow him [Prophet] as a baby camel follows the footsteps of its mother. Every day he would raise up for me a sign of his noble character, commanding me to follow it. He would go each year into seclusion at [the mountain of] Hira. I saw him and nobody else saw him…I saw the light of revelation and the message, and I smelt the fragrance of prophecy…”

Here are some of the words of wisdom, spirituality and justice, that Imam Ali left for us to remember and to practice.

Struggling against the soul through knowledge – such is the mark of the intellect.

The strongest people are those who are strongest against their own souls.

He who knows his soul fights it.

Justice puts everything in its right place.

The dispensing of mercy brings down [Divine] mercy.

As you grant mercy, so will you be granted mercy.

I am astounded by the person who hopes for mercy from one above him, while he is not merciful to those beneath him.

Be very cautious of cold in the beginning of winter and welcome it at the close of the season, because cold season behaves with your bodies exactly as it does with trees.

Don’t be among those who, if fallen ill, repent their ways of life, and on regaining their health fearlessly re-adopt the same previous ways.

No worships or prayers are more sacred than fulfillment of obligations and duties.

Do not be harsh with your brother out of suspicion and do not separate yourself from him without first having tried to reason with him.

Get rid of your wrong actions before they get rid of you.

You often ask for something which you do not get, but sooner or later you are given something better than it. What you wanted is withheld from you so that you can have what is better for you.

Supplication is the key to Divine Mercy.

The most excellent worship is refraining from disobedience and stopping when in doubt.

Fear Allah in secret and He shall withhold what might harm you.

Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said:

“O Ali …Your beloved is my beloved, and my beloved is the beloved of God; your enemy is my enemy, and my enemy is the enemy of God. Woe be to those who hate you after me.”